EDINBURGH LIFE m—
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Edinburgh International Science Festival Sat 3-Sun 18 Apr. info: 473 2020. Various venues. See feature. page 106. Easter Festival Of Country And Western Music And Dance Sat 3 Apr. nooii—-midnight. til-£12. Royal Highland Showground. lugliston. info: 01506 39996. See photo caption. Evening Zoo Tours Edinburgh Zoo. Corstorphine Road. 334 9171. Tue 6. Thu 8. Mon 12 & Wed 14 Apr. 6--8pm. £5. Find otit more about the zoo's work and residents on this expert guided tour. Flowers By Night Royal Botanic Garden. Inverleith Row. 248 2979. Thu 8 l-ri 9 .»\pr. b.30piii. £4 (£3). A torchlight tour of the garden to track doyv n plants which flower at night. Computer Fair Royal Highland Centre. lngliston. 333 3036 Sat 10 Apr. 10am 3pm. l-‘rom complete systems to games and software. pick tip a bargain or just some expert ady icc. Spring Flower Show Meadowhank Sports ('entre. 139 l.ondon Road. 661 5351. Sat 10~Suii 11 ,-\pt‘. 11am—5pm. £1.50 I50pi. 1f you're fingers are of a greenish liew. their head down to .\leado\\liank where there are more bulbs. plaiits and flowers than you can shake a stick at. Edinburgh Printmakers’ Weekend Course Sat 10 (k Sun 11 Apr. £95 (£65). Edinburgh l’i'iiitmakers‘ Workshop 8; (iallcry. l'nion Street. 557 2479. A weekend course to sharpen tip your skills 11] plate lithography. acrylic resist etching and water-based screenprinting. Women On The Land Wed 14 Apr. 7.30pm. £2 tnon—members): £1 (nietiihersi. National Trust For Scotland. (‘harlotte Square. info: 557 6238. Former researcher at the uni\ ei‘sities of lidinhurgh and Aberdeen. ('iill M. Clark. presents lllls British Association Of Nature (‘oiiseryationists talk on the rural \voiiieii‘s movement 111 Australia.
PERMANENT ATTRACTIONS
Camera Obscura
(listleliill (Royal Mile). litlinbttrgh. 220 3709. £3.95 1£1.95 £3.15)". family ticket £11.50 Daily 1(1am-5pm. l’ick tip a pedestrian 111 your hand at this attraction. which goes visitors a real-time. 360 image of the city. There is also an exhibition devoted to holographs and photography on the low er lloors.
City Observatory (‘alton Hill. lidiiihui'gh. 5564365.
.\lon Suit 10.30am 5pm. £2 (£1.20). An attraction for those of its who can't really be bothered trekking round Edinburgh’s sights on foot. the Edinburgh Experience is a twenty minute. 3-1). audio-visual c\perience that takes you through time. from the tectonic actiy ity which formed the castle rock to the Festival fireworks of today. all 111 the surrounds of a coiiifoi'tahle auditorium safe from the
\ agaries of Scotland‘s weather.
Craigmillar Castle Niddric Mains. lidiiihurgh. 661 4445. Mon Wed (k Sat 9.30am-4.30pm; Thu 9._‘y()aiii l[‘llllClU.\t.‘tll‘l'lllSt1113—4.3()[)lll. £1.30 175p £1.3(1i, For a real taste of history. take a di'r\e out to this 1‘;tlll\l1;lt‘l.lc old castle. which although not quite as intact as Edinburgh Castle. is far more atmospheric and the scene of much plotting during the reign of Mary. Queen ()1 Scnls.
Deep-Sea Word
North Queensferry. l'ilc. 01333 41 1880. Daily 1(1am 6pm. £6.15(£3.559£4.25). 1";itiiotis1oi its underwater tunnel. which brings \'l\1l()1'\ Iace—to-face with a huge
collection of fish native to our coastlines. Deep-Sea World also houses an Amazonian rain forest display. a touch- pool and educational facilities. Expert staff are on hand to answer questions and. thanks to the latest communications technology. visitors can even talk to divers as they feed the animals in the aquarium.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh. 225 9846. Daily 9.30am—6pm. £6 (£1.50—£4.50). Although much of the castle's medieval character was lost when it was converted into barracks in the 19th century. continuing excavations aim to redress this. Other attractions include James lV‘s famous cannon. Mons Meg. lots of military silverware and. of course. The Stone Of Destiny. used to crown Scottish kings since time began.
Edinburgh Zoo Corstorphine Road. Edinburgh. 334 917 l. Daily 9am—5pm. £6.50
(£3.50—£4.50). Widely accepted as one of
the finest zoos in Britain. there's plenty here to while away an afternoon. or even a whole day if you take your time. The penguin parade at 2pm is a must and the newly-built African planes afford a fantastic view of the city. Also on show: Natural .S‘eleetion. See Edinburgh Art listings. page 76.
Georgian House
7 Charlotte Square. Edinburgh. 225 2160. Mon—Sat 10am—4.30pm; Sun 2—4.30pm. £4.20 (£2.80). Experience a period Georgian house. giving a taste of life iii Edinburgh when the New Town was built.
Hopetoun House
Shore Road. South Queensferry. Edinburgh. 331 2451. Mon—Sun 10am—5.30pm. £1.60—£4.70. This stately home. part of which is still lived in by the Marquesses of Linlithgow. was build in the 18th century by architects Sir William Bruce and William Adam. 1t houses furnishings and artwork collected by the family over the past 400 years. Other attractions include the Red Deer Park and generous gardens criss-crossed with woodland walks.
listings EDINBURGH LIFE
EASTER FESTIVAL OF COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC AND DANCE Sat 3 Apr, noon—midnight. £8-£12. Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston, info: 01506 439996. It's a twelve hour extravaganza of all things countrified with everything from a stateside country disco to clothing stalls for all your cowperson requirements. There are prizes for those whose draw is quickest in the gunfight (not a real one, though) and for the best dressed cowgirl and boy. Music comes from the likes of Outlaw, the Howard Hebron Band, Dave Sheriff, Roll The Dice and Dreamcatcher. Yee-haw! And so forth.
Industrial Revolution. to the present day. at which point national heroes such as Billy Connolly and Elaine C. Smith get involved.
chapel contains enough historically fascinating carvings and symbols to hold the attention ofeven the most determined philistine.
Newhaven Heritage Museum Newhaven Harbour. Edinburgh. 551 4165. Daily noon—4.45pm. Free. Memorabilia and reconstructed scenes tell the story of Newhaven and its sea- going heritage. from its origins as a naval dockyard to its continued use as a fishing port. Also on show: Photographic Memories. See Edinburgh Art listings. page 76.
Palace Of Holyroodhouse
Royal Mile. Edinburgh. 556 1096. Daily 9.30am—6pm (last entry 5.15pm); closed Fri 2 Apr. £5.50 (£2.70/£4); family ticket £13.50. Starting life as a 13th century abbey. the palace has evolved into a sumptuous regal residence crammed full of paintings and artefacts dating back primarily to the 17th century. The tower apartments housed a sad and lonely Mary Queen of Scots’ fora time. but with a spectacular view of Arthur's Seat. and magnificent gardens to look at. it's hard to feel too sorry for her.
Mary King's Close Tours
Meet at Mercat Cross (beside St Giles' Cathedral). Edinburgh. 225 6591. £5 (£4). Call for details of tour times. Literally. a trip to Edinburgh's underworld. Mary King's Close is part of a now subterranean network of streets. walled off in the middle ages duritig an outbreak of the plague. Visit the restored (or at least made stable and safe) street and hear the horror stories of the residents left to die.
Museum Of Childhood
42 High Street. Edinburgh. 529 4142. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Free. Founded in 1955. the museum has five public galleries with all manner of archive material and old toys relating to childhood through the ages. From antique dolls to 1980s computer games. there's plenty here to send you off on a trip down memory lane. Also on show: Seen But Not Heard. See Edinburgh Art listings. page 76.
Museum Of Scotland
Chambers Street. Edinburgh. 247 4219. Mon—Sat l0am—5pm (Tue 8pm); Sun noon--5pm. £3 (£1.50); under 18s free. This is the newest addition to our national museum selection atid the only one dedicated solely to Scotland's history and heritage. The building contains live theinatically-arranged exhibitions. moving from pie-history. through the
Portobello Swim Centre
57 Promenade. Edinburgh. 669 6888. Mon—Fri 7am-9pm; Sat & Sun 9am-4pm. A swimming pool in the traditional Victorian mould (it was originally opened in 1901). Portobello Swim Centre has recently benefited from a complete refit. courtesy of council and lottery money. It now houses up-to-the- minute sports facilities as well as a pool and authentic Turkish Bath facilities.
Queensferry Museum
53 High Street. South Queensferry. 331 5545. Mon. Thu. Fri & Sat 10am—lpm & 2.15—5pm; Sun noon—5pm. Free. The natural and historical heritage of Queensferry are explored. from its roots on the medieval pilgrimage trail to the building of the Forth bridges and the wildlife of the Forth estuary. You can also check out the burry man. an effigy which forins part of the Lammas celebrations to this day.
Rosslyn Chapel
Roslin Glen. Edinburgh. 440 2159. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Stiii noon—4.45pm. £2.50 (£2). What you get out of a trip to Rosslyn Chapel may depend on your familiarity with books of the conspiracy heorist genre: a stronghold for the nights Templar'.’; proof of pre-
C lumbian trans-Atlantic travel'P; even the final resting place of the Holy Grail'.’!‘.’ What is certain though is that the
Royal Botanic Garden
Inverleith Row. Edinburgh. 552 7171. Daily 9.30am—7pm. Free. A sea of tranquillity in the hubbub of the city. the Botanic Garden is home to a wealth of flora and fauna from all over the world. The glasshouses give you the opportunity to check out tropical plants as well. The site also hosts art exhibitions. horticultural courses and various countryside events. including daily guided walks in the summer. Also on show: Graham Fagen and Cartooning For Equality. See Edinburgh Art listings. page 76.
Royal Museum Of Scotland
2 Chambers Street. Edinburgh. 247 4219. Mon—Sat loam—5pm (Tue 8pm); Sun noon—5pm; £3 (£1.50); under 185 free. A 19th century museum housing international collections of natural history. geology. science. technology and the decorative arts. plus two permanent exhibitions: Art & Industry and The Ivy Wu Gallery. Also on show: Ground. Ways QfEl/lfillg, Bo Jeffarex.‘ Reflections, Children In Ukiyo-e. [)t'st'orering Japan and Transistors. See Edinburgh Art listings. page 76.
Royal Yacht Britannia
Ocean Drive. Leith. Edinburgh. 555 5566. Daily 10.30am—6pm (last entry 4.30pm). £6.50 (£3.75—£5). The former royal yacht opens its doors to members of the public after a £25 million refit. The on-shore visitor centre contains historical information on the boat and its furnishings while. on the yacht itself. members of the public can have a good nosy round the royals‘ former quarters.
Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre
354 Castlehill. The Royal Mile. Edinburgh. 220 0441. Daily 9.30am—4.30pm. £4.95 (£2.50—£3.50). Take a romp through the traditions and history of yer national drink at this fully interactive attraction. Highlights include a lesson from a ghost master-blender. a barrel-car ride through whisky history and a well-stocked bar in which to test your newly-acquired expertise.
The People's Story
Canongate Tolbooth. 163 Canongate. Edinburgh. 529 4057. Mon—Sat 10am-5pm. Free. Situated in the Canongate Tolbooth. the sights. sounds and even smells of Edinburgh folk from the 18th century onwards are faithfully reproduced.
1—15Apt 1999 riisusrss